Anger, Truth Over Sandy Aid

EDITORIAL

Anger over aid package brought soul-searching comments

January 03, 2013

Anger, like wine, can sometimes bring out that which people are really thinking. On Wednesday, after House Speaker John Boehner declined to bring a $60 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy to a vote, New York Republican Rep. Peter King unleashed some wrathful thoughts that should concern the leaders of his party.

Mr. King, a conservative from Long Island, went right for the political jugular, urging New York and New Jersey residents to stop all donations to GOP House members. He said he would working against anything leadership proposed until the Sandy aid bill was passed.

Then he really got rolling, asking "why the Republican Party has this bias against New York, bias against New Jersey, bias against the Northeast? They wonder why they're becoming a minority party? Why we'll be the party of the permanent minority?" Connecticut's congressional delegation and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined the tri-state chorus of boos over Mr. Boehner's decision to spike the Sandy vote.

According to Politico, Mr. Boehner didn't want to put his members through another tough vote after the controversial tax bill. In a Congress that has achieved so little, perhaps two tough votes in the same day would have been too much to ask. In any event, Mr. Boehner quickly got the message, and promised a vote on part of the money Friday and the rest next week.

Hopefully it passes quickly and the people who need help get it. After the aid is delivered, Congress should take a hard look at the federal flood insurance program. We need a national discussion on construction in flood-prone areas.

But GOP leaders also should ask themselves if they are becoming a regional minority party, saved for the moment by the gerrymandering of House districts in just enough states. Listen to Mr. King when he's angry.